


S8 Makes Total Sense Now

by PiscesDragon



Series: A Series Of Shorts [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Dirty Words, Canon Universe, Epilogue Cards Didn't Happen, Established Relationship, M/M, Magical Spaceships, Post S7, Sneaking Around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 17:50:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20178304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiscesDragon/pseuds/PiscesDragon
Summary: Shiro and Keith maintain absolute professionalism around the Garrison and on the Atlas, and they always set an example for other staff and crew to follow. However, the Paladins have become concerned about the distance that seems to be growing between Keith and Shiro, so they decide an intervention is necessary to confront Shiro about the way he’s treating their friend. The thing is, they have no idea what’s going on behind closed doors…OR: If you ignore the epilogue cards and the last 60 seconds of the series, there’s really a much more plausible explanation for Shiro’s behavior during that last season.





	S8 Makes Total Sense Now

**Author's Note:**

> While not exactly inspired by a tweet, I was motivated to finish this fic due to this [Twitter thread and interaction](https://twitter.com/effitsfwanki/status/1156667460197769221?s=12). Trying to find logic and reasoning in Season 8 is just about impossible, but we try, right?
> 
> And as always, special thanks to @DropsOfAutumn for being my beta!

“Hello… everyone?” Shiro greeted as he watched Lance, Hunk, Allura and Pidge file into his tiny office. They all seemed to have varying expressions of purpose, setting him immediately on edge. “Everything ok?”

“Not exactly,” Allura said carefully, glancing at Lance.

“If you needed to meet about something, we could have booked a conference room. Or met up somewhere not so… cramped,” Shiro said as he watched Hunk try to work his way behind a chair without bumping the wall. “And you seem to be short one person. Where’s your fearless leader?”

“That’s kind of what we’re here about,” Pidge said, slipping into the chair in front of his desk. “We tried to talk to him, but you know Keith… “

“He’s a fortress,” Hunk finished.

Shiro’s eyes darted around to each of them, puzzled. “I don’t understand.”

“What the hell is going on with you and Keith?” Lance blurted, obviously lacking any patience for the diplomatic route.

“What do you mean?” Shiro sputtered, his eyes very pointedly looking away from them.

“Did the two of you have a fight?” Allura asked gently.

“You’re obviously not getting along,” Pidge said, arms crossed in frustration.

“It’s weird,” Hunk added with a small frown.

“Wait — what?” Shiro asked, looking up again from the papers on his desk. “You think we’re not getting along?”

“Because you’re not,” Lance stated firmly.

“What makes you say that?”

“Do you want a list?” asked Pidge, whipping out a data pad from somewhere Shiro was afraid to even ponder. She tapped it a few times. “On the way back, you left Black to stay with me in Green. That was the first indication of an issue. Now, outside of meetings, you’re never seen together. Ever. When you’re in a meeting, you two barely make eye contact. You’re both extremely professional with each other, but you’ve been acting even more formal than normal.”

“You treat him like a subordinate,” Allura said, her matter of fact manner startling Shiro for a moment. “While normal behavior with the rest of us at times when it is warranted, that hasn’t been your standard operating procedure with Keith for a very long time.”

“And the touching!” Lance said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

“What?” Shiro asked, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Who’s touching?”

“Not you!” Lance accused loudly. “And that’s the problem! The entire time I’ve known you, Keith has been like your wooby, and now he’s dead to you.”

The room immediately hushed so completely, Shiro was surprised he couldn’t hear crickets chirping through the thick, reinforced glass of his office windows. He stared at Lance in silence, blinking slowly, and a few seconds passed with Hunk looking at him as if he should understand the reference. Thankfully, Pidge and Allura seemed to be just as confused as he was, so Shiro decided to clarify, “Wooby?”

“Oh,” Lance said, embarrassed. “So my baby nephew has this blanket, right? He takes the thing everywhere. It’s always in his hands, he has a fit if it’s out of his sight. He’s constantly got to be touching it. He’s like, super attached to the thing.”

Shiro continued to stare at him with zero recognition of his point.

“Keith is _your_ wooby,” Lance said, as if the whole thing should be obvious.

Shiro’s mouth dropped open in shock. 

“Come to think of it, you’ve always kind of been his wooby, too,” Hunk said, his voice full of wonder.

“So it’s strange that you’re no longer… close, like that,” Allura explained.

“So because I’m not touching him,” Shiro said slowly, “you think we’re fighting?”

“You guys have been attached at the hip for years now,” Hunk said. “Yeah, it’s weird.”

“I don’t really think —”

“Shiro, if you copped a feel on me that often, I’d assume we were low key dating,” Pidge deadpanned.

Allura gasped in surprise, her expression one of sudden recognition.

“Oh, my gosh,” Allura exclaimed sympathetically. “Did he… turn you down?”

“Is _ that _ what happened?” Hunk asked. “Wow. That makes so much sense.”

“Well, not really, because there’s no way Keith would turn him down,” Pidge said simply. Shiro tried to suppress the confidence boost that swelled in his chest from the statement.

“He’s gone to far too much trouble to keep him alive to believe otherwise,” Allura admitted, nodding at Pidge in agreement. “He was utterly despondent after Zarkon… “

Thankfully, she trailed off before reminding Shiro about his ‘death’, though they were all well aware of exactly what she was referring to.

“So, this still doesn’t make any sense,” said Hunk.

“You have all,” Shiro interrupted their rambling analysis, “completely lost your minds.”

He stared them all down, leader mask firmly in place on his face. He hoped it was the look that said, “Don’t question me”, and he could somehow manage to get rid of them,pretending the entire thing had never happened.

“That’s not —” Lance began.

Shiro cut him off. “There is nothing wrong between Keith and I. We’ve both got a lot on our plates. We’re both in charge of our own teams now.”

“But that doesn’t mean —” Hunk said.

“We are fine,” Shiro said slowly, his voice calm and smooth like a quiet pond. “We are not fighting. There is not an issue. I promise.”

“But —” 

“I would appreciate it if you would just let this go,” Shiro stated. “The last thing we need right now is to create problems where there are none, right?”

None of the paladins seemed to have any argument for that point, so they all nodded in agreement. They didn’t look happy, but at least they were no longer berating him for mistreating their leader.

“Fine,” Lance huffed in resignation. “It doesn't seem to be bothering Keith, so I guess the rest of us will let it go. But Shiro, be nice, will you?”

“Just because you’re in charge of the Atlas doesn’t mean we aren’t all still friends,” Pidge pouted, and it was her look of sadness that broke Shiro’s resolve.

“I’m sorry, guys,” Shiro said as they all started shuffling toward the door. “I’ll… try to do better. Being back here, at the Garrison… maybe I’ve just slipped back into my officer role a little too easily?”

“We get it, Shiro,” Hunk said quietly. “We know you’ve got a lot of responsibilities. Just don’t forget people care about you, ok?”

Shiro nodded, watching as they all glumly worked their way out of his office. He wasn’t sure how to fix things, or how Keith would even respond to the accusations, but they definitely needed to readjust their behavior. If nothing else, Keith’s team was bothered by it, enough they were compelled to confront him about it. 

They couldn’t afford to have that kind of discord brewing before heading back out to find and defeat Haggar once and for all.

*****

Shiro made his way to his quarters slowly, his mind working through the new issues he was faced with and tracking a mental list of possible solutions. Unfortunately, there were no easy answers to the situation and very few he and Keith would agree on.

Passing the door labeled “Paladin Kogane” with a hint of a smile, Shiro stepped in front of his own just a few steps later, pausing as the Atlas recognized his location and slid the door open for him. He kicked off his boots in the entryway and moved into the larger living area, not at all surprised to see Keith lounging on the couch. He was laid out with his data pad in hand, long legs stretched out in front of him. The younger man looked up from under his dark hair with a small smile in greeting as Shiro came nearer and leaned over the back of the couch to stare down at him.

“So, I just had an impromptu meeting with your team… “ Shiro said, his deep voice filled with seriousness.

“What?” Keith asked, his voice betraying only a hint of worry. He sat up, his eyes focused on Shiro. “Why would they need a meeting? And why wasn’t I told?”

Shiro placed a calming hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Relax, it’s nothing serious. Or… nothing life-threatening, anyway.”

“That doesn’t sound positive,” Keith replied, mouth twisted into his trademark frown.

“It’s not.”

“Was everyone there?” Keith asked. Shiro gave an affirmative nod. “Why?”

Shiro sighed, giving him a sarcastic smile. “Apparently, they think I’m mistreating you.”

“Mis… treating?” Keith repeated slowly, looking like he was trying to understand an alien language. He huffed a disbelieving laugh. “What?!”

Shiro walked around the couch to sit down beside him. “They are all very concerned because I’ve been… distant with you. They’re under the impression we aren’t getting along.”

Keith sputtered, lost somewhere between shock and laughter. His blue eyes glittered in the artificial lights of the room. “Yeah, Shiro,” Keith chuckled, reaching over to take Shiro’s hand and lay it on his thigh. “We get along horribly.”

Shiro’s free hand came up to fiddle with Keith’s hair, tied back off his face. He pulled off the elastic band, making it easier to run his fingers through the dark strands.

“They made some valid arguments,” Shiro conceded. “Maybe we’ve taken things a little too far.”

“We agreed to keep things professional outside of this room, remember?” Keith said, his eyes soft. “That’s what you wanted. And I’m perfectly fine with that.”

“I know,” Shiro acknowledged. “But I don’t like the idea of the team thinking I’m being awful to you. They know me — they know US. The paladins have been there through almost everything, and they’re aware more than anyone else how much we mean to each other. Of course, they would think it’s strange from where they’re standing. We barely speak to each other when they’re around.”

“Then maybe we should tell them,” Keith suggested. Shiro had known him long enough to recognize Keith didn’t say it to push the issue. He was only presenting the other side of the argument, well aware that Shiro would circle back out of it. Over the last few months, it wasn’t the first time this issue had come up.

Shiro let out a deep sigh, letting his hand slide down away from Keith’s hair. “If the brass find out, I could lose my assignment. I could lose Atlas.” 

“I doubt they would do that,” Keith argued. He gave Shiro’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’re the only one who can unlock and control the mecha. That’s not something they would be willing to just give up.”

“No, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t put someone else in charge and just have me on board to play puppeteer,” Shiro said sadly. His gaze dropped down to their connected hands — one shining metal, the other flesh. “I’ve been through too much, as Champion, as the Black Paladin and as Captain, to be shoved back into a secondary role. And after what we went through with Sanda, I don’t trust anyone else to call the shots — especially when the lives of you and the other paladins are at risk.”

“I get that, Shiro,” Keith said. “And you know I trust you.”

“But the brass and other world leaders wouldn’t,” Shiro said as Keith let go of his hand and began to stand up. “I’m compromised, Keith. There’s no way around it. I can’t be objective in situations where you’re in danger.”

“Believe it or not, I have some first hand experience with that myself,” Keith responded, looking down at him with a small crooked smile. “I’ve never been known to handle it well when you were at risk.”

If he closed his eyes, Shiro could still see the image of Keith dropping out of the sky to save him from Sendak, like some kind of avenging angel. He had no idea what other life-threatening situation he’d left to come to the rescue, or if Keith’s absence from the battle caused other casualties. Shiro had never asked — he could only be glad Keith was there when he needed him. Like always.

Shiro quickly stood and followed behind as Keith moved out of the living area and into the bedroom, shucking his uniform top and throwing it haphazardly toward the hamper in the corner.

“So what are we supposed to do about this?” Keith asked, standing in front of Shiro with his arms crossed over his white tank. Shiro’s eyes couldn’t help but run over the curved muscles of his arms and sharp angles of his collarbone appreciatively. “The easiest way to maintain distance is to avoid each other. I don’t trust either one of us not to slip otherwise. And if the paladins or your crew finds out, there will be no way to keep that information contained. Hunk and Lance have slipped right back into the Garrison gossip chain like they’ve never left, and you _ know _ how those things go.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad?” Shiro said, leaning on the doorframe. “I’m sure if we asked them, the team would keep it quiet.”

“They would,” Keith agreed. “But it’s a big ask. All it would take is one little slip to get people talking.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Are you serious?” Keith’s eyes widened. “You know, before Kerberos, everybody thought the only reason I got so much of your attention was because I was blowing you.”

Shiro’s mouth dropped open in shock. He definitely did NOT know that. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Don’t tell me you never heard those rumors.”

“No!” Shiro denied quickly, but then his expression dropped. “I mean, Adam mentioned it once, joking around, but I didn’t realize people really believed I was taking advantage of you like that.”

“I’m pretty sure _ you _ were not the one they thought was taking advantage.” He smirked as he removed his belt and threw it into the closet. “ _ Golden Boy. _”

Shiro wanted to argue about how that line of reasoning was wrong on so many different levels, but it felt strange to discuss the fact that a younger Keith wouldn’t have been in a position to seduce him while simultaneously wishing the same grown man would just take off his pants already. 

Keith grinned wickedly. “Besides, we both know back then if given the opportunity I would have happily hit my knees.”

Shiro sputtered, torn somewhere between embarrassed and flattered. And his very unhelpful brain was imagining Keith doing just that, his dark hair fisted in Shiro’s hands.

_ Dammit — focus, Shirogane. _

“So,” Keith said, redirecting them back to their previous topic with a look that said he knew exactly what Shiro was thinking, “we maintain current course then. Stay professional and keep things to ourselves?”

“Ok, but baby, you have to let me touch you once in a while. They think it’s weird I never touch your shoulder anymore. Do I do that a lot?” Keith gave him a rather incredulous look. “I guess I never realized…”

“No, Shiro,” Keith said firmly, arms crossed against his chest. “I told you, no touching. If you touch me, I’m going to want to touch you. And I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Besides, it’s your own fault.”

“How is it my fault?” Shiro asked, throwing a hand up in exasperation.

“You released the Kraken. I literally spent _ years _ wanting you. You can’t expect to be able to lay a hand anywhere near me and not get jumped in the middle of the conference room,” he explained, as if it was simple physics and Shiro was an idiot for not grasping it. “Those are just facts.”

“_Keith._”

“_Years, _ Shiro. Years of sexual frustration. It’s gonna take a while for that to settle,” Keith said, moving to stand in front of Shiro. His slim finger poked into Shiro’s chest to make his point. “And I’m not even going to _ talk _ about my issues with your new flight suit. Whoever designed that was the devil incarnate sent to tempt me.”

Shiro couldn’t help but laugh at how deeply wronged Keith sounded. It was probably a bad time to remind him of how Shiro had nearly swallowed his tongue when he’d come back to the Castle after a few months, suddenly filling out his Blade of Marmora uniform like an illicit second skin.

Damn, he loved that outfit. The paladin armor and uniforms the Garrison had pulled together for them didn’t come anywhere close to the same appeal.

“We had plenty of time in space on our way back to Earth,” Shiro argued, wrapping his hands around Keith’s slim waist. “But you kicked me out and made me go stay with Pidge!”

“That’s because if I hadn’t, we never would have left the bunk after my mom left,” Keith said, wrapping his arms around Shiro’s shoulders and running his hands up into his undercut.

Shiro smiled, pulling him close. “Sounds like a perfectly good way to pass the time.”

“Yeah, except _ somebody _ had this great idea to make me lead the team,” Keith said, placing a soft kiss at the side of Shiro’s mouth. “I can’t do that from the bed, you know.”

“Details,” Shiro muttered.

“Besides, there was a severe shortage of lube in space,” Keith said. “We had to make it last. I may be half-Galra but my ass is not self-lubricating.”

“Is that actually a thing?” Shiro asked, shocked.

“Sometimes,” Keith answered with a shrug. “Or so I’ve heard.”

“Well, damn…" That was intriguing. And unfortunate. How incredibly convenient would that be?

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Keith murmured, running his nose down Shiro’s neck to settle his mouth on his clavicle. Kitten licks and gentle bites danced along the bone, making Shiro sigh and grip Keith tighter.

“There’s no way you could ever disappoint me,” Shiro said softly, tilting his forehead to settle it on the top of Keith’s head. “I love you so much, baby.”

Keith lifted his face to look up at Shiro, purple-blue orbs shining at him for a brief second before he was rising up to meet Shiro’s lips with his own. After a few short minutes of forceful kisses, Keith’s tongue surging and probing his mouth to tease him, he pulled away. 

“Me too, ‘Kashi,” Keith said with the soft smile he only shared with him. “It doesn’t matter if no one else knows. This is just for us, anyway. You know I’ll take you however I can have you.”

Suddenly Keith leaned down, grabbing him by the back of the thighs and quickly lifting Shiro up into his arms. Shiro wrapped his arms wrapped around his partner’s neck, legs gripping his waist and keeping them balanced so they didn’t fall over.

“God, you’re so strong,” Shiro panted. 

Happiness glittered in Keith’s eyes. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

Shiro loved it when Keith overpowered him, enjoying those rare occasions when something could make him feel small. Space was like that, always giving him the feeling he was at the mercy of the stars, limited in the amount of control he had over the situation.

Keith could be like that, too.

And Shiro loved it.

He startled as Keith jostled him a bit, sliding his hands up to get a firmer grip under Shiro’s ass and causing his dick to rub against the ridges of Keith’s stomach beneath his thin shirt.

“_ Fuck, _ baby,” Shiro breathed. He was already half-hard and the minute Keith dropped him on the bed it wouldn’t take long for him to be ready for whatever this beautiful man wanted to do to him.

“I was kind of intending to,” Keith’s smirk was full of mischievous intent. “Want me to make you feel better? Help you forget all about the mean paladins making you overthink everything?”

“Yes, please,” Shiro answered, a coquettish smile accompanying the flutter of his eyelids.

He got the response he was aiming for, as Keith let out a gruff laugh.

“Nobody would ever believe the great Captain Shirogane is such a pillow princess,” he complained with a smile while his eyes glowed with love and appreciation. “You’re lucky I like it.”

After receiving another searing kiss for his commentary, Keith quickly carried him closer to the bed, dropping Shiro roughly onto the sheets. The moment Shiro’s back hit the mattress, he was grabbing at Keith’s shirt, lifting and pulling to expose the smooth skin and faint artwork of scars underneath.

“You’re so gorgeous,” Shiro murmured, running his hands along the muscular ridges and valleys of Keith’s stomach and chest.

“_ Shiro _.” It was a groan of correction, but accompanied by an embarrassed smile. Even though they had been together for a while, Keith was still not good at receiving such compliments. He quickly helped Shiro shuck his uniform and underwear, tossing them toward the floor to be dealt with later.“Well, you are,” Shiro grinned, hands busy helping his partner out of his pants and using his feet to push the offending clothing the rest of the way off.

“If you say so,” Keith grumbled as he sat back and ran his hands up Shiro’s legs, bracing them on his thighs to lean over and mouth at Shiro’s hipbone teasingly. “I can’t build muscle the way you do. Myself, I’m more a fan of thick… Well, everything.”

Suddenly a strong hand was working him, sliding along his length and making him feel _so good. _Shiro got only a peek at a blinding smile before Keith disappeared under dark hair and the warm heat of his mouth enveloped him.

Shiro gasped in surprise, unable to contain the sounds that followed and barely able to keep his hips from forcing himself farther into Keith’s mouth. He grabbed at the sheets, trying to control his impulse to move while he lost himself in mindless pleasure.

The relentless tongue prodding at the slit, the suck and slide of lips along his shaft, was slowly driving him out of his mind. Just when Shiro thought it was all going to be over much too soon, Keith pulled off, determined to focus on _ other _ things.

“Can you reach the drawer for me?” Keith asked, voice coming out rough from his abused throat.

The sound of his voice made Shiro’s cock twitch, like it took joy in being responsible for it. His metal arm shot over to the table, quickly finding the lube and bringing it to Keith’s waiting hand.

“Baby,” Shiro moaned as a strong hand ran over his skin, up along his stomach, trailing over his pec to thumb and pinch at a nipple before slowly sliding down his side. Shiro melted, legs spread wide as Keith’s other slicked hand teased him, seeking entrance. “You make me feel so good.”

Keith groaned, leaning down to kiss him, his tongue probing into his mouth while his fingers gave the same treatment to other parts of his body.

Shiro opened up for him completely, giving Keith every part he wanted to take. There wasn’t any piece of himself he wouldn’t willingly give up for this beautiful man, his partner in everything.

They spent the rest of their evening focused only on each other, able to forget for a while about their responsibilities, their teams, and other people’s expectations of them. There was no way to know when they would be called back to battle, and for a few hours in the quiet of their little haven on the Atlas, they enjoyed every moment of pleasure they could bring to each other.

*****

A very early knock at his door forced Keith to extract himself from the warmth of Shiro’s octopus-like appendages. He would never understand how the man could be short an arm, yet it always felt like there were twelve of them wrapped around him – as if trying to keep Keith as close as possible even in sleep. With everything they’d been through, Keith only found it endearing. It was always reassuring waking up with the immediate knowledge that Shiro was safe next to him.

Keith quickly looked around, throwing on the first pair of loose pants he could find. He didn’t bother with a shirt — anyone that wanted him this early would have to take what they got.

On his way to answer the door, he realized the pants weren’t his when they almost slipped off not once but twice. His legs were nearly as long as Shiro’s, but his hips were too narrow to hold up the pants. He gripped a handful of cloth at his waist and prayed he would remember not to let go.

He found himself, not for the first time, relieved to be living on a magical space ship that his boyfriend just happened to be the captain of. From the hallway, it looked like he and Shiro had separate rooms. But Atlas, ever the helpful spirit, had worked some kind of magic that led both of their entryways to enter into their shared space. Keith’s door was on one side of the living room, and Shiro’s on the other.

So far they’d both managed to avoid having any of their friends over, giving no one the opportunity to detect they were living together. Pidge was cause for particular concern — her keen eye for observation would no doubt notice within seconds the two doors and various belongings of both men intermingled around the room.

When he opened the door to the smiling faces of both Coran and Allura, he tightened his hold on the pants. Somehow he doubted Allura would take well to getting flashed.

And Coran would never let him live it down.

“So sorry to bother you this early!” Allura said dramatically as she took in his state of undress. Her gaze settled on his head for a moment, and Keith could only imagine the sight it must be.

Shiro really had a thing for messing with his hair in bed.

“Sorry about…” Keith trailed off, using his free hand to gesture at himself. “What’s so important?”

“Oh, well the delegation from Artrix has shown up much earlier than we anticipated,” Allura explained with a frown. “We hadn’t planned for them to be here until early afternoon.”

“And?” Keith asked, wondering exactly how this was his problem to deal with.

“They don’t believe their visit should be adjusted simply because they got here early,” said Coran. “They’re on a tight schedule and want to get started right away, following their original agenda and timeline.”

“Ok,” Keith said flatly, still not following. In fairness, it _ was _ early, and he’d had a very (enjoyable but exhausting) late night.

“The first thing they were expecting to do was meet with the Paladins of Voltron,” Allura said. “They want to meet with all of us. Now.”

“Seriously? Are you kidding me?” Keith growled in frustration.

“Keith?” Unexpectedly, he heard Shiro’s morning-rough voice calling from the bedroom. It was rare for either of them to wake up alone, and he was probably looking for him. His heart rate sped up as Allura’s eyes widened in surprise, obviously hearing him.

“Fuck,” he muttered. He needed to get rid of his visitors immediately, before Shiro came wandering out. After a particularly good night together – and depending on his mood – Shiro had a tendency to take a “clothing optional” approach to their living area.

It was certainly never something Keith had found to be a negative before.

This was absolutely going on the list of reasons why they should announce they were together — people damn sure wouldn’t be knocking on doors at all hours if they knew there was the risk of getting an eyeful of not one but two Black Paladins.

“Um… Ok,” Keith said, thinking quickly. “You go get the others up and moving. Message all of us a reminder of where we’re supposed to be. Coran, you stall the — ” _little_ _bastards _“ — guests and let them know we’re on our way. I’ll get dressed and meet you there as soon as I can.”

Keith groaned. There went any chance of a lazy morning spent in bed, cuddling up with his baby in their warm, little nest for a bit longer.

*****

The door literally snapped closed in their faces the moment Keith finished speaking and took a step back from it.

“Did I hear… “ Allura started, eyes still wide with surprise as she looked at Coran.

“Shiro?” he finished. “I believe it was.”

“But… I didn’t realize…” she trailed off.

Coran seemed surprised by her reaction. “Well, they’ve been snorggling for years, haven’t they?”

“Coran!” Allura gasped in shock. “Language!”

“Sorry, Princess,” he said, contrite.

“Really, ‘quiznaking’ would have sufficed,” she huffed, increasing her pace as they moved back down the hallway.

“Looked like he’d been more than quiznaked to me!” Coran joked quietly at her side. Allura chose to ignore him, not dignifying that kind of comment with a response.

“I get the feeling they don’t want anyone to know,” Allura said. “Perhaps we should keep this to ourselves?”

“I’m quite surprised by that,” Coran replied. “I would have thought their relationship would be obvious to anyone who saw the Captain’s reaction when the lions fell.”

“Humans can be very strange about these things, Coran,” Allura explained. “Their mating habits are very difficult to grasp.”

“I know!” Coran crowed. “And yet they look so much like us — you would think all their parts would work the same way.”

“Well, I think they _ do, _” Allura said carefully, hiding a smile. “But do you know, Lance was under the impression there would be no actual mating unless we got MARRIED. How absurd! Apparently it’s traditional for his family.”

“Really?” Coran asked, mouth dropping open in disbelief. “How odd! But how would you know if you’re compatible?”

“That’s what I said!” she replied.

“Well, I do hope you put a stop to that nonsense right away, Princess,” Coran said.

“Oh, believe me, Coran,” Allura said with a bright, self-satisfied smile. “I absolutely did!”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Alteans don't believe in the concept of virgin marriage and I'm inventing dirty words in Altean now. Sue me :)
> 
> I just love writing the boys happy and in love! If you liked it, let me know! Kudos are lovely and comments are even better!!


End file.
